Friday, December 14, 2007

Well Something’s Emerging (HOPE).

About 13 years ago I attended Parachute Festival, along with copious amounts of Christian bands I ended up at several workshops and worship events that sparked a light in me. The speakers that really hit me were the Ozzie Biker Dude John Smith, Futurist Tom Sine and a worship event ran by some people from Cityside Church in Auckland – Parallel Universe. It opened me as a very young Christian up to a sea of possibilities, and a new slant on my faith journey – I was introduced to things like; being incarnational, community and taking the ordinary things of life and making them sacred – three themes that the scriptures are full off but I had not heard much of in Church… From there I have been challenged to think missionaly, to try and see where God is at work, etc.

Not only did I see passion for Jesus through this Trinity but possibilities for creating, embracing, and promoting a view of spirituality that made a lot more sense to me – at the time it filled me with hope, but over the last 13 years that hope has often tasted like despair. The journey took me through many experiments, good and bad till I have come to a place where – I think I can see God at work, and I think I understand more of how we get alongside that work.

Like maturing cheese it's taken a while but something good is emerging because not only does this make sense to me I have over the past few years helped others see s view of God's work in the world that is new to them and makes sense to them. I guess for me something has emerged and as I look around NZ I can see something emerging for others too. Dare I say it I believe the future looks promising for the Church, I am full of hope for what God is doing and for the ability of the Church to get on board with God's Work. I guess just like there is no resurrection without Good Friday so a journey of hope needs to come through and navigate a valley of despair…